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Tim YuSprint 4G Rollout UpdatesThursday, August 2, 2018 - 12:01 PM PDT
It's been a long time coming for Sprint through many trials and tribulations. Now it's finally here!
S4GRU was able to obtain confirmations that Sprint is finally ready and prepared to enable Voice over LTE (VoLTE) for subscribers to manually opt into in select markets across the country this coming September. See list at the bottom.
As a refresher here are some of the essential points about VoLTE applicable to Sprint:
Calls placed over VoLTE will have the QOS tag unlike the current Calling Plus configuration on numerous Sprint devices
Like Calling Plus, VoLTE will have no fallback to the legacy 1x voice network. Calls will drop if the LTE signal drops.
The voice codec is AMR-WB which one can experience with Calling Plus calls and matches the other carriers VoLTE setups.
At this point and time S4GRU does not have a list of compatible VoLTE devices though we do speculate that any device currently running Calling Plus should be able to tap into that very same IMS core Calling Plus utilizes via true VoLTE. In addition, recent Apple iPhone's seems like a sure bet as some users have already experienced VoLTE in live field tests conducted by Sprint. For the non Sprint branded BYOD devices like Google Pixels or unlocked Moto devices the future is quite murky indeed.
Sprint VoLTE Soft Launch Market Map
See this for map of all Sprint market boundaries
Sprint VoLTE Soft Launch Markets
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Atlanta / Athens
Austin
Baltimore
Boston
Central Jersey
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Colorado
Columbus
DFW
East Kentucky
East Michigan
Ft. Wayne / South Bend
Houston
Idaho
Indianapolis
Kansas
LA Metro
Las Vegas
Long Island
Miami / West Palm
Milwaukee
Minnesota
Missouri
Nashville
New York City
Norfolk
North Wisconsin
Northern Jersey
Oklahoma
Oregon / SW Washington
Orlando
Philadelphia Metro
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Richmond
San Antonio
SF Bay
South Bay
South Texas
Southern Jersey
Tampa
Toledo
Upper Central Valley
Utah
Washington DC
West Iowa / Nebraska
West Virginia

Alpha Wireless Concealed Antenna Node
The following consists of Alpha Wireless Concealed Antenna Node (CAN) small cell sites.
This is a type of stealth setup for small cells where the small cell enodeB and relay antenna is located within the stealth enclosure which also acts as the antenna. This type of site is under beta trials with positive results and is likely to expand in deployment scope nationally to fulfill municipality requests for "good looking" small cells that they would approve.
The finished build.
Note the utilities attached to the pole and routed directly into the concealed antenna node where the small cell eNB and Relay backhaul antenna are located. In traditional small cell deployments, like such they are mounted on the exterior with visible wires.
The following is an additional example of an Alpha Wireless CAN setup. Notice the CAN's position relative to the utility pole which is at an angle.
Here is another one that is a standalone metal pole install. Photo Credits to dkyeager and the rest of the Ohio sponsor group that helped locate these small cells.

T-mobile Nokia Flexi 10 Equipment
Standard NSN Setup
Note that NSN setups for T-mobile utilizes 4x2 MIMO hence the number of antennas per sector (typically 3 with 2 fat one skinny). There are two options for NSN setups and the below is in a pole mounted configuration where the NSN FRIGs (Nokia Remote Radio Units) are attached to the pole behind the antennas.
Option 1
If you look close enough you'll notice T-mobile has L700 equipment on this water tower..
Nokia setup with everything within enclosures
Option 2
Closeup of an Antenna
Closeup of a Nokia FRIG
Credit for the photographs belong to whoever took it. You know who you are!

Even though Sprint hasn't announced any plans for Windows Phone 8 devices I would like to see the Lumia 920. It compares similarly to the other top tier phones http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/5/3293500/nokia-lumia-920-galaxy-s-iii-iphone-iphone-4s-ativ-s-specs-compare but I'm interested in Windows Phone 8 since Android and iOS both seem a bit boring.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/8/3145295/nokia-lumia-sprint-verizon-pureview-richard-kerris
According to The Verge, there are windows phones coming to Sprint.
And
"Microsoft just announced four special hardware partners for Windows Phone 8 — Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, and HTC will have Windows Phone 8 devices running on "next generation silicon" from Qualcomm."
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/20/3101742/nokia-samsung-htc-and-huawei-will-have-first-windows-phone-8-devices
I'm going to be waiting forever to upgrade! Was trying to decide between the GNEX vs the Galaxy S3 vs waiting for the next Nexus and now this is thrown into the mix!

by Scott Johnson
Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
Monday, April 2, 2012 - 12:29 PM MDT
Microsoft entered the modern era of smartphone operating systems with the release of their Windows Phone 7 (WP7) platform. The first WP7 handsets went on sale October 21st 2010 with Sprint receiving their lone WP7 offering 5 months later with the HTC Arrive. The HTC Arrive suffered from slow sales numbers and Sprint brass quoting a poor “user experience” for returns of the device. There was recently evidence that Sprint may have rejected a follow-up to the Arrive, the HTC Maaza, when a tester prototype phone showed up for sale on ebay.
The WP platform still has not gained as much as a 5% market share as Microsoft continues to lose market share. Ratings giant Nielsen saw such a small market share for WP that they did not even include WP as a separate platform and inserted their statistics in the “other smartphone” category.
Even though the HTC Arrive has failed to generate a whole lot of buzz at Sprint, many of the consumers who purchased the device think very highly of it. The user rating of the HTC Arrive currently stands at 4.6 out of 5 stars and 91% of those who purchased the phone would recommend it to a friend. This stands out in comparison to the highly vaunted Apple iPhone 4S which currently boasts a 4.4 rating out of 5 stars with 86% of consumers who would recommend it to a friend. Windows Phone fans at Sprint are so passionate that they have started a petition to Sprint to procure more WP devices that currently has over 2,400 signatures.
Partnership with Nokia gives Windows Phone a partner committed to the OS
Microsoft began their campaign to gain ground on the US smartphone market by announcing that they would partner with one of the largest phone makers who has been longing for a reentry into the US market. On February 11th 2011, Nokia announced that they had established a partnership with Microsoft to make their mobile platform the primary operating system for Nokia phones. In Nokia, Microsoft found a partner to not only build flagship devices that are designed to pull the most possible functionality out of the WP operating system; they also found a partner to help them market the phones and operating system. Nokia is set to release the first LTE enabled phone running the Windows Phone operating system on April 8th in the form of the Nokia Lumia 900 on AT&T’s network for a mere $99.99.
Customers are unfamiliar with the operating system
Microsoft has learned from the past, while the operating system may be able to compete with the likes of iOS and Android, unless the sales staff can highlight the strong points of the OS, is familiar with the phone and has incentive to sell the phone over other models, the phone will not sell in the quantities they desire. This is why Nokia is spending upwards of $25 million to provide the Lumia 900 to AT&T for “company use” allowing the sales staff to trade in their iPhones and Androids in exchange for a free Nokia Lumia 900. This move will allow the customer to see the phone as more desirable because the sales staff always seems to have the “cool, cutting edge” phones. Additionally, this will extend the sales staff’s familiarity with the OS well beyond the training that AT&T provides them.
Microsoft has also given AT&T sales staff a financial incentive to sell WP models. A $200 million program has been initiated by Microsoft, through AT&T to pay a $10-15 commission for every windows phone that an employee sells to a customer. If the AT&T test bed pays off in increased sales of WP handsets, the promotions will likely spread to other carriers like Sprint when they begin receiving shipments of their WP flagship later this year.
Customers want apps on their smartphone
As it stands, the Windows Phone Marketplace has about 65,000 apps, this number pales in comparison to the nearly half a million apps in iTunes and nearly as many in Google Play. Even more concerning, is the lack of some of the most popular apps. Pandora, Bump, Skype, Dropbox and Google Maps are all missing from the WP platform trumping an argument that WP has quality apps and not merely a large quantity of apps.
Microsoft and Nokia have contributed $12 million each to develop a mobile app development program. They also plan to spend $10 million on an advertising campaign to promote the competitors of the top apps that are absent from the WP Marketplace. Apps also tend to cost more on the WP Marketplace than other app stores due to the developers needing to charge extra to make up for smaller sales numbers since the OS has such a small portion of market share. Without apps, the platform will have a tough time catching on with customers, and without customers, the platform will have a hard time attracting developers.
Advertising can make consumers more receptive to Windows Phone
The Nokia Lumia 900 is reported to be the benefactor of a $100 million “hero” advertising campaign. It is not known how Microsoft, Nokia and AT&T will split up the advertising costs, but that much money will certainly bring customer awareness up for the operating system and for Nokia’s brand recognition. Sprint customers will no doubt see these ads and become more familiar with WP and Nokia (should Nokia build a device for Sprint’s network) so when a WP device is released on Sprint’s network, it will also benefit from the ad campaign.
Another Windows Phone flagship is rumored for a late 2012 release to capture sales during the holiday season, with another “hero” advertising campaign; this could bring Sprint and Verizon customers into the fold nicely if it is a Nokia model released on all three carriers.
Consumer perception must be that Windows Phones are “flagship” devices
Many would-be buyers of WP7 handsets such as the HTC Arrive could have been turned off by the combination of lackluster stats and lower price and confused the device with a mid-tier offering. If someone were to compare AT&Ts offering of Samsung handsets today, you would see the Galaxy Note coming in at $300, the Galaxy SII coming in at $200 and the Focus Flash at $1, there is also a newly released Focus S at $200.
The Nokia Lumia 900 would have no such comparisons, and even at a lower price, could be perceived as a flagship at a value price. The Windows Phone OS has been designed to run smoothly on less system resources. The dual core processors, large amounts of memory and larger screens of the Android competition tend to wash out the stats of the Windows Phone lineup. That shortcoming is being remedied with the next WP offerings it seems. Sprint is set to receive a WP with a Qualcomm MSM8960 dual core 1.5GHz and LTE connectivity
[float right][/float]One of the best ways for an operating system to gain new customers is by “smartphone envy.” Friends, family and coworkers tend to show other people some of the more advanced features that their phone has and some of the best apps. In order to spur this type of referral, Microsoft needs to gain market share, and quickly. Windows phone will gain functionality with the release of Windows 8, which will tie the phone OS and PC OS closer together.
The OS can also gain significant ground by integrating further with the popular XBox 360 platform, but they can't afford to lose any ground on Android and iOS. By infusing money into different methods of marketing and into application development, Microsoft is hoping that they can sell handsets and gain market share. They won’t continue throwing money at the platform if it never catches on, but thanks to the moves that they have made, most notably bringing Nokia on board, they may just have the right recipe. They will undoubtedly watch carefully what happens with AT&T as a “test bed” when they start planning their marketing campaigns for Sprint and Verizon.
Maybe someday Windows Phones will “sell themselves” as Android and Apple phones seemingly do, requiring smaller marketing budgets, but for now Microsoft and Nokia need to launch a full scale marketing attack on the market to secure their place in the future.
Sources: Android Authority WPCentral betanews phonenews

Danny Bullard
Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
Monday, March 19, 2012 - 10:49 PM MDT
Any Windows Phone 7 users in the house? Are you getting tired of waiting for a new Windows Phone to replace your HTC Arrive? Well you might not have to wait to much longer. According to SprintFeed's sources, Sprint will be getting a LTE Windows Phone Apollo device this Fall. At the moment, we aren't certain who is making this device. Nokia sure would sound good to most of you!
This mysterious device is reported to pack Qualcomm's MSM8960 chip. This chip provides a dual-core CPU and Qualcomm's Adreno 225 GPU. Qualcomm's new chip has beat Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip in a few benchmarks. GPU performance also looks very solid. This would be Microsoft's most powerful Windows Phone device to date.
Hey Windows Phone fans! So, do you plan on holding out for this device? Or have you already switched to another carrier for more Windows Phone 7 devices? Sound off in the comments.
Source:
SprintFeed